


Another Day, Another Dovah

by sunsdawn



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/F, F/M, Modern Girl in Skyrim, Multi, Reader-Insert, fucked up the formatting i'll fix it later, i'll probably revise this once i get more experience with writing, is it obvious this is my first fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:49:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23098129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsdawn/pseuds/sunsdawn
Summary: The muffled sounds were the first thing that registered to your clouded mind, followed quickly by blinding light and splitting pain that radiated started in your head and radiated throughout your body.  Groaning, you shut your eyes in an attempt to alleviate the sting brought by the light.“Hey, you.  You’re finally awake!”-Another Modern Girl in Skyrim fic bc I love the concept and I'm a sucker for reader-inserts.  Most likely slow burn, I've got a lot planned before any romance happens
Relationships: Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Marcurio, Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Original Character(s), Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana, Marcurio/Serana (Elder Scrolls)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know what i'm doing aaa!! so sorry about everything in this fic, especially that the dialogue in chapter one is pretty much lifted from the opening scene of the game. i've never done anything beyond academic writing and i got so embarrassed while writing this that i had to keep my eyes averted from the screen. i've only ever played vanilla skyrim on a playstation and recently my switch so i don't know if i'll be including any mod characters, but i'd love to add some ocs of mine or other people if you'd like to see your oc somewhere. posting this now before i can talk myself out of it

The muffled sounds were the first thing that registered to your clouded mind, followed quickly by blinding light and splitting pain that radiated started in your head and radiated throughout your body. Groaning, you shut your eyes in an attempt to alleviate the sting brought by the light.

“Hey, you. You’re finally awake!”

The muscles in your face strained as you tried to smile at the familiar dialogue, and, rather than a giggle, what left your mouth could only be described as a horrible,

“Hehguhrrgg,” followed by a series of dry choking sounds.

“You were trying to cross the border, right? Heh, walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us,” Blur number one nodded towards blur number two, “and that thief over there.”

The voices were far too clear, and despite being unable to see very well, you knew the movement was far too smooth to be a game. Alright, no need to panic, probably just a very realistic dream. One with pain. And a nice breeze. And the feeling of a hard wooden seat beneath your ass.

“Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along! Empire was nice and lazy…..if they hadn’t been looking for you, I could’ve stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell!”

He, the blurs were people, you realized groggily, nodded in your direction, “You there, you and me. We shouldn’t be here, it’s these _Stormcloaks_ the Empire wants.”

Squinting at him, you continued to recognize the conversation, the blurs slowly forming the shapes you knew them to be.

“We’re all brothers and sisters in binds now, _thief_.”

You attempted to open your mouth again to question what fresh dream hell you had wandered into, only to be met with another gasping cough and a fresh wave of pain. Pain too real and lingering to be a dream.

“Shit, they must have hit you pretty hard,” The chuckle came from…Ralof, you realized, once again, who was looking at you with a sympathetic grimace. You wondered at what point you’d start seeing characters you failed to recognize. He looked beyond the cart to the Imperial soldier directing the horse.

“Hey, think we could get a swig of something back here for the lady?”

“Shut up back there!” He hadn’t even turned around to address the four of you. The cart was silent for a beat.

Wait, fuck, four of you, shit.

You attempted to side-eye the form sitting next to you, only to be met with another wave of pain and dizziness. You opted to turn your head to look at him instead, nearly being sent into another coughing fit when you realized just how he towered over you, despite also being seated. He glared at you from beneath the hair that had fallen out of his slicked back braids.

“What’s wrong with him, huh?” Lokir whispered towards Ralof.

Ralof immediately jumped to the Jarl’s defense, “Watch your tongue! You’re speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true high king!”

You watched as Lokir’s eyes bulged. “U-Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm?” He turned to Ulfric. “You’re the leader of the rebellion….and if they captured you…” His voice took on a whine. “Oh gods…where are they taking us?”

Ralof smiled grimly, “I don’t know where we’re going, but…Sovengarde awaits.”

“No, this can’t be happening. This isn’t happening!” Lokir’s breathing picked up as he began to panic.

If your throat hadn’t felt like dry parchment, and there was a chance you thought he might listen, you may have tried to warn him of his upcoming failed escape. Ralof attempted to bring him back to reality, which wasn’t exactly looking great. “Hey, hey…..What village are you from, horse thief?”

He sniffed, “Why do you care?”

“A nord’s last thought…should be of home.”

“Rorikstead…I..I’m from Rorikstead.”

Ralof nodded and turned to you. “And you?”

“Hekkhhhh”

Ralof’s head fell back with a laugh, the noise got a humorless chuckle out of Lokir, and an eyeroll from Ulfric, and the cart fell silent once more.

A few minutes passed in said silence, relatively comfortable, despite the situation. If you could keep your head on your shoulders long enough for Alduin to show up, you might make it out of this.

But would Alduin show up? What if you weren’t the Dragonborn? If you had taken their spot or they were in another cart…a shudder ran through you at the thought of the dragon waiting to make his appearance unless absolutely necessary.

While your mouth still couldn’t form anything aside from the sounds of the living dead, your throat was beginning to feel better, loosening despite the lack of moisture. It nearly went dry once more when one of the Imperial soldiers spoke up.

“General Tullius, sir! The Headsman is waiting!”

You heard the distant reply of the General from back in your cart. “Good. Let’s get this over with…” Lokir began to panic once more.

“Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh! Divines, please help me!” He whispered from beside Ralof, who was scrunching his nose.

“Look at him… ‘General Tullius, the Military Governor’…And it looks like the Thalmor are with him…Damn elves, I bet they had something to do with this!”

The surrounding mountains and trees began to morph into stone walls and houses, with people beginning to come out of their homes to watch the Stormcloaks be lead to their deaths. You turned back to Ralof when you heard his sigh.

“This is Helgen.” Another wry smile. “I used to be sweet on a girl from here…wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with the juniper berries mixed in…Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe…” He gazed out at something beyond the cart once more.

“Who’re they, daddy? Where are they going?” You craned your head to look at the child, Haming, if you remembered correctly, and the man next to him, Torolf, his father.

“You need to go inside, little cub.”

“Why? I wanna watch the soldiers.”

The soft voice of Torolf grew firm, “Inside the house. Now.”

“Yes, papa.”

The carts ahead began to slow, the soldier at the helm of your cart letting out a “Whoa,” bringing the horse to a halt to avoid hitting the disembarking prisoners.

“Get these prisoners out of the carts. Move it!” A voice shouted from up ahead, the Imperial Captain. Lokir looked up, beginning to panic once more.

“Why are we stopping?”

“Why do you think? End of the line,” answered Ralof. “Let’s go, shouldn’t keep the Gods waiting for us.”

“No wait, we’re not rebels!”

“Face your death with some courage, thief.”

He spun around in his binds, facing Ralof. “You’ve got to tell them!” He gestured towards you, “ _We_ weren’t with you! This is a mistake!”

You stepped off the cart, looking like a newborn deer without use of your arms to steady your already weak legs. It felt like you had been bedridden for weeks, your muscles stiff from disuse and joints popping at every angle. Ralof turned back to look when your ankle made a particularly sickening sound after hitting the ground. You shrugged, but both snapped to attention when the Captain spoke once more.

“Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time!”

“Empire loves their damned lists,” Ralof scoffed, shifting from foot to foot.

“Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm.” He stepped forward when Hadvar called his name, the heavy footfalls out of place in the peaceful town. Ralof yelled after him. “It has been an honor, Jarl Ulfric!” Glancing down at the list, Hadvar’s face twisted.

“Ralof of Riverwood.” The two met each other’s eyes as one walked into line. Hadvar shook his head.

“Lokir…of Rorikstead.” You clenched your jaw as he opened his mouth to protest.

“No! I’m not a rebel! You can’t do this!” His feet were moving before he even finished talking, shoving his way past the captain and into the road.

“Halt!” “You’re not gonna kill me!” He kept running, getting about two building lengths away before the captain spoke again.

“Archers!” Turning away when you heard this, you were forced to listen as the arrows let loose, hit their mark, and Lokir fell to the ground with something between a groan and a gurgle. Stomach turning, you kept your eyes to the nearest structure, counting the bricks.

“Anyone else feel like running?”

Hadvar scanned his list twice before looking up, “Wait, you there.” You glanced up, eyes wide. “Step forward.” You avoided glancing behind him as you gingerly forced your feet to move.

“Who are you?”

“I-” Wheezing, followed by a cough. Damn, that hurt. “My name is _____”

His right eyebrow raised. “From?

“Ah…”

_Fuck._

“(Town/ City name).”

Both his eyebrows raised. He glanced back down to the list, pursing his lips in thought.

“Captain, what should we do? She’s not on the list..” She scoffed.

“Forget the list, she goes to the block.” He scribbled something down.

“By your orders, Captain.” He looked back down towards your smaller form. “I’m sorry….We’ll have your remains returned to…” He looked back at the list. “…(Town/City name). Follow the Captain, prisoner.”

She brushed past you, and you got a great shot at Lokir’s body. He would have looked like he was sleeping, if not for the unnatural angle he was twisted in, and the pool of deep red forming around his body. You felt horrible, as the only thought in your mind being ‘well, at least he wasn’t facing you.’

You moved to stand in line beside Ralof, the man flashing you a small smile. You attempted to return the gesture, which most likely ended up looking as if you were about to lose the contents of your stomach. His smile grew, the corners of his eyes curling.

“Ulfric Stormcloak,” The moment was interrupted by General Tullius. “Some here in Helgen may call you a hero…But a Hero doesn’t use the power like The Voice to _murder_ his king and _usurp_ his throne”

Said ‘hero’ grunted, the gag muffling whatever insults he had at the ready.

“You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down and restore the peace.”

You felt the roar of Alduin in your bones, it shook the ground, and everyone stumbled a bit, looking up at the sky. Some covered their heads in surprise. The world seemed to stand still, both Imperials and Stormcloaks staring in trepidation. Hadvar was the first to speak up.

“What _was_ that?”

General Tullius barely let him finish, “It’s nothing,” He crossed his arms and adjusted his stance. “Carry on.”

“Yes, General Tullius!” The Captain took over. “Give them their last rights.”

The priestess stepped forward, raising her arms as she spoke, “As we commend your souls to Aetherius… blessings of the Eight Divines-”

The unnamed soldier with the red hair stepped forward. If he could have kept his mouth shut for a few more minutes, he may have been able to keep his life. “For the love of _Talos,_ shut up and let’s get this over with.” He marched towards the block, the priestess looking on in shock.

  
“…As you wish.”

“Come on! I haven’t got all morning!” The Captain pressing him towards the ground, stepping on his back once he reached his knees. His head his the block.

“My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?” The headsman raised the axe and you looked back towards the ground as quickly as your body would allow.

The sound of the axe traveling through his neck and spraying the ground with blood was sickening. The sounds of the crowd were lost as you felt the world spinning, vaguely hearing Ralof commend his fellow soldier’s bravery as your ears stopped ringing.

“Next! The one in the rags!” That horrible sound again, longer this time, echoing throughout the mountains. Hadvar looked around.

“Th-there it is again. Did you hear that?” The captain ignored him, spinning around.

“I said, next, prisoner!” You looked up to see the eyes of the Imperial soldiers. Hadvar spoke again, “To the block, prisoner…Nice and easy.”

The only thing keeping your feet moving was the hope that Alduin was going to swoop in at any moment. You looked into Hadvar’s eyes as the Captain kicked you down to the block, the previous soldier’s blood still warm, staining your cheek as you rested your head. Deep breaths. In and out. The axe was raised above your form.

“What in Oblivion is that?”

“Sentries, what do you see?” The Captain asked, much calmer than the General.

People began screaming. “It’s in the clouds!” “Dragon!” The Captain turned around. The World Eater landed on the tower, the force of his wings closing knocking down the Imperial headsman.

For a moment, he watched, eyes scanning the crowd. They landed on you. Then he let out the loudest goddamned sound you ever heard, the sky swirling behind him as he plunged the world into chaos.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> let's get this magic bread, y'all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope this sounds alright, I have no idea how to switch between dialogue and descriptions/ actions.

Your ears rang for the second time that day, face down in the dirt with your hands still tied, body flung by Alduin’s roar. The commotion around you settled into a blur as you attempted to regain your senses.

“-ey! Hey!” “Ralof, move! Get in here!” You struggled until your body was facing Ralof, his axe in hand. You always wondered how he and the other Stormcloaks were freed from their bindings, the same certainly couldn’t be said for you. “Get up! Come on! The Gods won’t give us another chance!”

He offered his hand and you scrambled for it, hanging on for dear life as well as you could with yours less than functional as he dragged you into the tower. You were lead away from the entryway towards the wounded Stormcloaks; it seemed as though the others had already made their way into the structure. Well, the ones still alive, anyway.

“Jarl Ulfric!” He panted, barring the door as best he could with the materials around him, mostly consisting of barrels and small wooden furniture. “What is that thing? Could the legends be true?”

Ulfric scoffed, “Legends don’t burn down villages.” He took a deep breath, listening to the sounds of destruction beyond the stone walls. “We need to move.” Nobody moved. “Now!”

Ralof nodded, ushering you and a three others up the tower. “Wait, shit! My bindings, cut me loose.” He didn’t waste a second, ripping through the cloth before grabbing your arm and running up the stairs. You stumbled a bit, half from your injuries, half attempting to slow him down some so Alduin wouldn’t turn him into handsome blond barbeque.

“Slow down! Please, just for a second!” You wailed, gripping his arm and planting your feet, attempting to press the two of you to the wall just before Alduin ripped through portion above your heads. His shout scattered the bricks and flattened two of the soldiers as the building filled with flames.

As soon as the heat and rubble cleared, and Alduin had decided to go terrorize some other poor souls, Ralof ripped himself away from the stones, staring down through the dragon head-sized hole, pointing at the dilapidated building.

“See the inn on the other side? We’ll have to jump… Olav!” He turned to an older looking Nord with a severe face, his sandy blond hair pulled into a few braids. “You want to take the first leap?”

Rather than answering, Olav leaned over the edge, nodded, and proceeded to take the fall, landing on the other side and stretching his arms out attempt to break the fall of the Stormcloaks remaining in the tower. You followed after Ralof, watching the situation with Hadvar from the second floor of the inn.

Alduin flew over the street, a few of the townspeople scattered immediately, Haming left in the middle, attempting to shield his fallen father from the rubble. “Haming, you need to get over here now!” He stumbled blindly towards Hadvar’s voice, not taking his eyes off Torolf. “Thataboy. You're doing great!” He reached out and pulled him aside towards Gunnar as Alduin landed feet away from them.

“Torolf! Gods…Everyone get back!”

Another jet of fire lit up the village; Torolf didn’t even get the chance to scream. The heat cleared, revealing Hadvar, Gunnar, and Haming crouched by the side of a house. Ralof leaned over what may have once been a window, now a gaping hole. 

“By the Eight, Hadvar! You’re still alive!” Said man whipped around, scanning the area for Ralof’s voice. His eyes landed on the gaggle of prisoners making their way out of the inn.

“Ralof, you damned traitor! You-”

Ralof hopped off the first floor with a grunt. You, not wanting to be separated, followed suit, though you’re landing was less than graceful, with your right knee taking the brunt of the fall. Ralof stood much faster than you, trying to reason with the soldier. “You’re still on about that? We’ve got bigger problems! We can all make it out of this we just need to work togeth-”

Hadvar snarled, turning back towards the residents of Helgen. “Gunnar, find shelter and take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join the defense.” He took off, sprinting through the town, Gunnar’s words trailing after him, “Gods guide you, Hadvar!”  
“Shit, Hadvar, wait!” Ralof ran after him, leaving the rest of the Stormcloaks standing near the inn. Rather than be left with the High King Jackass, you trailed Ralof as best you could with your injuries, your knee protesting with each step.

They turned a corner and you lost them both, the city much larger than in the game. Two minutes of limping around fallen bodies and bricks, you found Hadvar, alone, crouching near a wall, facing the other direction. You approached him, making no attempts to be sneaky, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He tensed, spinning around and grabbing your arm. His eyes softened somewhat as he recognized you.

“Still alive, prisoner?” He relaxed his grip somewhat upon realizing you weren’t attempting to harm him. His head swiveled, searching for trouble, before looking back at you and nodding reassuringly. “Keep close to me if you want to stay that way.”

“Where’s Ralof?”

“Probably made his way back with Ulfric. We’ll need to stay close to-” Alduin landed on the ledge above your heads at the same time something collided with Hadvar, falling to the ground. With his grip on your arm, you fell with him, eyes shutting as Alduin let loose another column of fire, burning through where your torsos should have been. You opened your eyes after you felt the wind from his wings, signaling that he had turned his attentions elsewhere.

You were greeted with Hadvar pushing Ralof to the side. “Get off me, you heavy bastard. You could have just told us to duck!” He laid there, panting.

Ralof laughed as he rose to his feet, clutching his stomach, “You- hah- you wouldn’t have listened to me you stubborn oaf! C’mon, get up” He turned to you after nudging Hadvar with his foot. “Both of you, we need to keep moving.”

You spoke up next, nails clutching at the wall as you stood, with Hadvar still on the ground. “Where’s Ulfric? And the others?”

“They’ll be alright, I saw them a while back climbing over the walls, they’ll probably make their way towards Windhelm; it’ll take more than a dragon to stop Ulfric Stormcloak.” Hadvar rolled his eyes, propping himself up on his elbows while Ralof smiled down at him, offering his hand.

-

The three of you made your way to the far end of the keep, behind the soldiers currently focused on the dragon, seemingly unaffected by their onslaught of arrows and spells. Your arm was slung over Hadvar’s shoulder, the larger man supporting you and taking the weight off your injury, as you stumbled through the door, Ralof shutting it behind you. After leading you to a bench, Hadvar went to work, rifling through the various chests and wardrobes.  
“We need to get you two out of those clothes” He tossed some various uniforms to you and Ralof, “We’ll need some weapons too, it never hurts to be prepared.” He turned back to the chests, searching for anything sharp.

You walked around the corner, turning to face the wall as you changed into some rather ill fitting imperial armor. The shoulders stuck out and the cuirass reached halfway below your knees. The boots were a bit too big, and the bracers were a bit loose, but it wasn’t horrible for something not tailored. You looked at the leather helmet you had been given and ran your hands through your hair to find…well, not much. Without being able to see it, it felt as though someone had run a dull knife through your hair, lopping most of it off and leaving you with a very choppy shave.

You sighed and tugged on the helmet, imagining how feral you must have looked waking up on the cart: covered in rags, your hair a mess, unable to speak… Great way to make a first impression. The helmet wasn’t snug either, if you leaned over too far it would most likely fall off, but it was better than nothing.

You went to join up with your boys, walking around the corner to find Ralof struggling to fit some studded Imperial armor over his head, his arms flailing inside. Hadvar was attempting to help him, tugging at the cuirass, chuckling at his antics.

“Don’t laugh, you ass! Can’t you find anything bigger?” “Nah, just stop moving, you’re making this more difficult than it needs to be.” His head finally popped out of the neck, and before he had time to gloat, Hadvar shoved a closed helmet on his head. “We’ll need to hide your face, you weren’t exactly blending in on the way here, I’m sure they could hear you babbling from Whiterun.” He pointed to you.

“If anyone asks, you’re officially pardoned; besides, you weren’t supposed to be on that cart in the first place. Now as for weapons-”

“I’ve got my axes!” Your brows furrowed and Hadvar gave him an incredulous look, cocking his head. “Ralof, where did you get those? Didn’t we take your weapons when you were arrested?”

“Got ‘em off the cart when the dragon landed.” He turned to you. “Now, what are you best with? Long range? Two-handed?”

“I, uh, don’t know. I’ve never really…been in a situation like this. Maybe I could, I-I could…” Your breaths began shorter as the gravity of the situation you were in finally hit. Huge fucking dragons, death around every corner, giant angry rats and spiders, no modern conveniences like indoor plumbing. “Oh, shit… Oh, god…gods. Fuck.”

Hadvar made his way over to where you were leaning against the wall, placing a hand on your shoulder, “Hey, hey, just breathe, you’re alright, we’ve made it through the worst of it… probably. You some sort of noble? You don’t seem used to this kind of life.” You shook your head, wiping at your eyes. “No it’s…where I’m from, things are… relatively peaceful. Not like this, there’s no need to learn how to use a weapon.”  
“Sounds nice,” Ralof murmured from near the door.

Hadvar hummed, “Alright, that’s fine. No worries! Ah…Hold on” He fumbled for a second, pulling something off his back. “Here, I’ve got a bow you can use, I’ve only got a few arrows, but I’m sure we’ll be able to find a few more around here somewhere. It’s easy enough to shoot, Ralof and I will explain the basics while we get moving.”

-

It felt like you had been walking for hours; Hadvar and Ralof took turns supporting your leg while trading off the basics of archery. Although nothing could be said for your aim, you felt as though you could successfully load an arrow and theoretically fire it. The keep was surprisingly empty, aside from a few bodies, hinting that you hadn’t been the first to get away from Alduin. The room with the potions and torture equipment had already been ransacked. The spiders and bear had already been taken care of and you found yourselves at the mouth of the cave. As you exited, Alduin few overhead, the three of you waiting for a few minutes to see if he’d circle back around. Looking at the sun, it had to be… sometime in the afternoon, maybe a bit after two. Hadvar was the first to speak up.

“Alright, this is the road to Riverwood, shouldn’t take us too long to get there as long as we keep moving. I’d say as long as we don’t stop, we can make it there by nightfall.” He turned to you, “My uncle’s the blacksmith there, he should be able to set you up with some armor, think of it as an apology for, ah, nearly beheading you.” Ralof slowed down a bit, as he was leading the pack.

“What about me? I’m not showing up to Windhelm in this Imperial garb. Besides, You nearly chopped my head off too, I’d say that counts for something.” Hadvar scoffed. “Aaand, in case you’re forgetting the incident with the dragon, I saved your life… I’d say you owe me.”

Hadvar nearly dropped you. “Owe you? It’s your own fault you’re in this mess, no one forced you to join the rebellion. You could have come with me, you-.” He sighed, stopping and closing his eyes. “…I’ll see what I can do. I’m not making anything resembling your Stormcloak rags though.”

“ _You’re_ not making anything? What happened to your uncle?” He chuckled. “I know you know some basics, but come on, I need some real armor.”

“He’s one person, he can’t whip up something quick for the both of you. And I know more than the basics, what do you think I was doing in Riverwood? You think I was sent there to sit around and eat my uncle’s food all day? Here, trade off, it’s your turn to be a crutch…No offense, of course, how is your leg doing?”  
You smiled at him reassuringly, “It’s alright, and it’s okay really I just-” You nearly fell after attempting to walk on your own. The adrenaline from earlier had worn off and you now felt the extent of the injury. You hissed. “Okay, fuck, sorry, yeah I could use some help.”

“You need one of us to carry you?” Ralof chuckled. “You’re looking a bit weary.”

“No, no! Today has just been…busy.” Both men laughed at that. “I can’t wait to fall into bed…”…Come to think of it, did you remember how you got here? Did you fall asleep? The last thing you remember from before you woke up on the cart was arriving home with an armful of groceries…Hadvar turned around while nodding, breaking your train of thought.

“Aye, I’ll drink to that. Everyone should be asleep when we arrive, but the inn should still be open. I’m thinking we get a few beds and regroup with our familes in the morning. Oh!” He addressed you, “Did Ralof tell you? He grew up in Riverwood, his sister, Gerdur, actually runs the mill there.”

You feigned surprise. “Really? Is that how you two know each other?”

Ralof smiled. “During the summers, Hadvar was sent down to Riverwood to learn how to smith from his uncle. Heh, can’t say he was very good, but we had a good time playing with those shoddy iron swords he made.” Hadvar chuckled.

The silence that fell over your group was peaceful, the colors of the sky melting from orange to purple. The shadow of Bleak Falls Barrow started to appear through the trees.

“Hey, Hadvar? Remember when we used to sneak into those old ruins with those old swords and some leathers? Saying we were going to hunt draugr? Heh, you used to be so afraid of those things.” Ralof turned to you, “He used to sneak into my room through a window at night, afraid the dead were going to carry him off. He said I made him feel safer.” He grinned at Hadvar, who groaned.

“Don’t tell her that, you ass. And how could I forget?” He smiled and turned to you. “Halfway into the ruins we heard a rustling sound, got our swords ready, and some skeever came running out at us…One draugr we could probably handle…maybe, but five skeever? We ran screaming all the way back to town, getting bit the whole way. We spent the next few weeks in bed recovering from ataxia.” He chuckled, “Thought Gerdur was going to kill us both. Hod covered for us, saying he asked us to run up there and grab some ingredients for him. Can’t believe they ended up together…Speaking of, how’s Frodnar? Still a troublemaker?”

Ralof grinned, “You bet, last I heard he ruined the pot of stew at the inn. Heh, placed a few bugs in it…Sounds like something we would’ve done as a kids…And how’s your neice?”

“Dorthe? She’s good, about ready to start learning the family trade. Excited about it too, though her ma’s not too keen on it…says it’s not ladylike. But that won’t stop her, or Alvor from teaching her.” He chuckled. “She’ll probably be better than me before too long, the way she goes on about it. What about you, noble? You got any family?”

“Yeah I- wait no, I’m not a noble, I-” He nudged your uninjured side. “I know, I know, I’m only teasing, but go on then, tell us about yourself.”

“…Well, the city I come from is a lot more, ah, _different_ , than those in Skyrim…and as for my family…I…” Shit, here come the waterworks. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to see them, they’re very…far… from here. No way to write either…We don’t have, uh, couriers…” Ralof frowned.

“Sounds like a weird place. So, guessing you’re not a Nord, then?”

“No I’m, uh…” Shit, what were you even closest to? “…mixed.”

He smiled, “No shame in that, girl. Be proud of your heritage. Speaking of heritage…you ever touched a standing stone?”

Hadvar scoffed, switching places with Ralof, “What does that have to do with standing stones?”

Ralof ran in front of the group towards the Guardian stones. “This is what has to do with the stones! These are the Guardian stones, three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim’s landscape. Go ahead and touch one. This one here is the warrior stone, this one is for a mage, and this one here is for thieves.”

“…” You shrugged off Hadvar’s support, limping to stand in front of the stones. Time to make a decision…

On one hand, the stealth skills are handy if you want to get involved with as little violence as possible…and make a quick buck while you’re at it, you could probably progress with archery faster, but…you know the dialogue from the game and you don’t want to disappoint your new friends...

Magic could be interesting…The spells could really help you out in a pinch, especially with little to no experience surviving in a world like this, and you might be able to make some gold by offering enchanting services… but could you even learn it?

And combat…it would most likely make creating your own weapons easier, which could also be used to make money, as well as improving your fighting skills…counting that any of the stones could actually work for you, of course.

Fuck it, you could always come back and change it later. While the thief stone would be handy, you don’t want to risk them seeing you choose it. And the combat stone…You don’t think you plan on doing any close-range fighting unless you have to. And that leaves you with…

You took a step forward placing your hand on the stone. Hadvar shrugged and Ralof nodded sagely.

“Mage, eh? No room for us to judge, to each their own. C’mon, we’re close to town now, you see the smoke from the torches over those trees? I'd say we're... less than an hour away.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> comments are always appreciated, i'd love some feedback on this!! or come talk to me on tumblr @20thsunsdawn (not my main, too embarrassed)


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